Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 14: Year 1
Morning, Psalm 102; Evening, Psalm 107:1-32;
2nd Samuel 15:19 to 37; Acts 21:37 to 22:16; Mark 10:46 to 52:
“So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.” (Mark 10: 50)
At some point when teaching a young child to ride a bicycle, we must take off the training wheels, those added security wheels that reminds them of the days of the tricycle.
When I taught my granddaughter to ride a bicycle, after many hours of walking alongside her, holding her up, we stopped for a rest; at least for me. After a few minutes, she said to me, “Grandpa, let me ride it by myself.” To which I said, “go ahead, but be careful.”
She rode and rode, up and down our driveway again and again, without me, without training wheels. She just needed me to get out of the way. She just needed to be released from both me, and the training wheels.
Bartimaeus needed to be released from his cloak. If one is blind it is so important to either hold on to personal things or put a lot of attention in where things are laid in order that the item may be found again when needed. So throwing off his cloak and springing up to meet Jesus demonstrates his strong faith in what Jesus will do for him. He let go of his safety in order to gain sight.
We too must let go of whatever hinders our path to the healing of our Lord Jesus. And yes, there will be some folks trying to prevent us from being with Jesus. They have become our cloak or our training wheels. They too must be removed in order to fully absorb the life changing love of our Lord Jesus.
Today our Church remembers The Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus (August 15 NT) and her information may be found at: St. Mary the Virgin
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.
What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray: For the Poor and the Neglected (BCP p. 826)
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
onewhoponders 